Vols. for 1994-1995 distributed to depository libraries in microfiche.

General Note:

Special "80th anniversary supplement" issue published on Aug. 12, 1994.

General Note:

Special ed. for 65th anniversary of the Panama Canal issued at end of Oct. 1979, is also a joint issue with: The News: authorized unofficial publication of the U.S. Armed Forces, Quarry Heights, Panama, and includes the text of the Panama Canal Act.

Stay away from
spillway areas!
The heavy rains at this time of year
could result in serious flooding and
necessitate prompt opening of the
spillway gates at Madden and Gatun
dams. Spillway discharges at Gatun and
Madden are usually high and create
strong currents downstream. Because
the areas below the spillways are
exceptionally dangerous, they should
not be occupied during.the months of
October, November and December.
To warn people that may be.in the
area, sirens are activated 15 minutes
before a spill. On hearing these sirens,
all people below the spillway should
evacuate the area and move to higher
ground immediately.
Despite the early warning system and
additional safety measures that have
been implemented, there have been at
least two known instances of life-
threatening situations in spill areas in
recent years. The Panama Canal
Commission urges everyone to avoid
these areas or, if they must use them, to
respond quickly to warning sirens.

Overhaul set for Pedro Miguel Locks

The locks overhaul for fiscal year
1989 is scheduled to start next week. At
an estimated cost of $4 million, the
project includes the removal and
rehabilitation of miter gates 68 and 69,
installed on the west lane of Pedro
Miguel Locks. The gates were last
overhauled in 1958. Gates 66 and 67,
which are positioned in the east lane,
were recently rehabilitated and, there-
fore, will not be included in this
overhaul.
The Dredging Division's floating
crane Hercules will be used to remove
the 79-foot tall, 700-ton gates from their
hinges. Each will then be sealed, filled
with pressurized air and floated to the
Industrial Division's synchrolift at

Mount Hope. There, the interior and
exterior of both gates will be scaled, grit-
blasted and repainted. Mechanical
components will also be rehabilitated,
under the technical direction of Locks
Division overhaul engineer Fernando
Sucre.
As part of the program to upgrade
the underwater machinery at the locks,
a major modification will be made on
the rising stem valves. The valves' roller-
train bearing system will be replaced
with a new sliding bearing system of

Panamanians hold
more nautical jobs
Efforts by the Panama Canal
Commission to increase the number of
Panamanians employed in all aspects of
Panama Canal operations are having
positive results in the pilot and towboat
force.
In October 1979, there were only four
Panamanian pilots, representing 1.7
percent of the pilot force. Today, there
are 73 Panamanians on the force, about
29 percent of the total. Thirty-five are
full-fledged pilots, 24 are pilots-in-
training and 14 are pilot understudies.
Almost two-thirds are maritime aca-
demy graduates, half coming from the
Panama Nautical School and half from
institutions in other countries. Half of
the Panamanians were hired through
the Pilot Understudy Program, and
most of the others came through the
Commission towboat program.
There are currently 91 Panamanians
on the towboat master force, repre-
(Continued on page 4)

ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethyl-
ene. According to Locks Division
Engineering and Planning Section
Chief Jorge L. Quijano, this new system
should extend the valves' life span from
10 to 15 years.
Dry chamber work at Pedro Miguel
Locks is tentatively scheduled from
January 8 to 14. During the outage,
other locks structures, such as towing
locomotive conductor slots, will be
inspected and repaired as necessary.
The overall project at Pedro Miguel
Locks is scheduled for completion on
May 16, with the rehanging of gate 69
on May 15, and gate 68 the following
day.

"Mindi" at work

on long-term job
The dredge Mindi is currently
working in the Pacific channel on a
project to make transits, especially those
by large vessels, safer in this section of
the Panama Canal.
Dredging Division personnel are
working seven days a week in an
around-the-clock operation, excavating
some 1,600 cubic yards of soil per hour.
Before completing the task, the Mindi
will remove approximately 6.5 million
cubic yards-6.1 million from the west
bank and the rest from the east bank.
This material will be disposed of at
three different Pacific-side locations.
According to project engineer Jorge
Solis, the dredging project, as it is
presently contemplated, is scheduled for
completion in 1990.

Administrator
Major Panama Canal Commission
procurement efforts were outlined in
Administrator D. P. McAuliffe's
quarterly report to the Board of
Directors, presented October 12 at
their meeting in New Orleans.
A crawler-mounted drill rig for the
Dredging Division arrived on the
Isthmus on August 22, and solicita-
tions for the procurement of two trailer-
mounted drill rigs were opened in
August. Two of four diesel electric
locomotive cranes for the Locks
Division arrived on the Isthmus and
were assembled at the Industrial
Division.
Foremost among the major mainte-
nance projects discussed was the Pedro

presents report
Miguel locks overhaul. On the subject
of safety, McAuliffe reported that the
cumulative fiscal year 1988 accident
incidence rate was at 5.8, 28.6 percent
below the fiscal year 1987 rate of 7.9 and
well below the goal of 7.3.
Panama Canal toll revenues for fiscal
year 1988 were very near budget targets
and reflected a moderate growth.
Although fiscal year 1988 was
successful in terms of growth and
budget performance, Canal traffic and
tolls showed a marked deterioration
during the last four months of the year.
McAuliffe said current traffic patterns
indicate that fiscal year 1989 traffic and
Strolls levels are expected to be com-
parable to 1988 levels.

Fiscal year construction contracts total 92

Ninety-two technical representative
and construction contracts were
awarded by the Panama Canal Com-
mission to independent contractors
during fiscal year 1988. Payments
totaling $14,813,000 were made during
the fiscal year on ongoing contracts.
Two of the biggest projects awarded
cover the installation of a fire protection
system at Miraflores Locks for
$7,515,158 and the installation of two
locomotive turntables for Gatun and

Miraflores locks for $2,924,254. The
locks firefighting system will significant-
ly enhance protection in the forebay and
tail bay areas against any fire that might
result from a vessel discharging flam-
mable or combustible products. Instal-
lation is expected to be completed by
early 1990.
Earth moving and landslide cleanup
and prevention also received a great
deal of attention through several
somewhat smaller contract awards.

The following statistics reflect Panama Canal operations during the
month of September:
Average oceangoing transits-31.6 ships per day
Average ready backlog-10.1 ships
Average Canal waters time-15.9 hours
(including transit time)
Ships with beams over 80 feet-48 percent
Ships with,beams over 100 feet-23 percent
The Panama Canal Commission dredge Rialto M. Christensen is
currently working at the south approach to Miraflores Locks on a
project to make vessel transits safer in that area of the Canal. The project
involves the removal of 609,000 cubic yards of soil from the area. It
started in November 1987 and is scheduled to be completed by early
December.
A contract was awarded last month for the procurement of two 53-
foot passenger and pilot launches for a total cost $838,000, with an
option for two more. The launches will be built by Halter Marine of
Louisiana, and the first two should be delivered by August 5, 1989.

THE PANAMA CANAL SPILLWAY

Friday, October 21, 1988

Japanese karate
The Atlantic Martial Arts Club is
offering beginning and advanced classes
in Japanese karate, self defense and
weapons from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at the Mar-
garita Playshelter. For additional in-
formation, call Sensi Simpson at 46-
4875.
Crossroads Tennis Club
Crossroads Tennis Club is currently
accepting membership applications.
The club holds a tournament each
month in the Canal area with competi-
tion in three categories as well as a
junior class.
Fees are $40 for families, $25 for
individuals and $10 for students.
Applications are available at the
Panama Canal Commission Employee
Fitness Branch (Building 5140, Diablo).

To build interest in the upcoming
75th anniversary of the Panama Canal,
the SPILL WA Y is recounting events at
the waterway in the year leading up to
its opening. This article covers the latter
part of October 1913.
After the Gamboa dike was blown
and the Culebra Cut and Gatun Lake
were united, the attention centered on
clearing the cut. Dredging began as
soon as the necessary equipment
reached the work sites. The dipper
dredges Chagres and Mindi and ladder
dredge No. I were brought across
Gatun Lake from the Atlantic entrance
on October 22 and started digging the
next morning at the east and west bases
of the Culebra Slide. Dredging equip-
ment arrived at the Cucaracha Slide
area on October 24, and suction dredge
No. 85 began to work there two days
later. Installation of floodlights at
Cucaracha made it possible to work
through the night.
By October 29, ladder dredge No. 5
had cleared a channel at the north end
of the cut through the Gamboa dike.
The channel was 150 feet wide and
allowed for a clear draft of over 21 feet.
The section south of the Cucaracha
Slide was filled with water by Octo-
ber 27.
The last of the 92 locks miter gate
leaves was lowered into place on its
hinge pintle on October 30. It was the
side wall leaf for the lower operating
gate in the east flight at Miraflores
Locks.

Paraiso, Rainbow City
high school reunion
Former students and teachers of the
Paraiso and Rainbow City high schools
are invited to an all-class reunion and
happy hour starting at 5 this afternoon
at Tony Roma's.

ASODEC activities
The Association of Canal Employees
(ASODEC) invites Panama Canal
Commission employees to its con-
ference celebrating the 75th anniversary
of the Canal at 4:15 p.m. on Friday,
October 28, at the Training Center.
The speaker will be Dr. Carlos Arellano
Lennox, vice president of the Com-
mission for Canal Affairs for the
Panama Legislative Assembly.
Employees and their families are also
invited to a "Homage to the Father-
land" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
November 3 at the Balboa Community
Center (Building 9A). Deputy Com-
mission Administrator Fernando Man-
fredo Jr. will make a short presentation
in commemoration of Panama's In-
dependence Day. Tickets are available
through ASODEC board members.

Even though malaria had been under
control, it made a quick and fatal
reappearance in October, taking the
lives of four persons.

Precipitation was below normal in
most areas, with monthly totals ranging
from 6.08 inches at Culebra to 18.85
inches at Portobelo. The Culebra
reading was the lowest for October since
1888.

"Trash metal" concert
The Employee Fitness Branch is
sponsoring a "trash metal" concert
beginning at 7:30 p.m. October 22 at
the Balboa Community Center.

OWC bazaar
The U.S. Army Officers'and Civilian
Wives Club will hold a Christmas
bazaar from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
October 29 at the Fort Amador
Officers' Club.
Scottish ball
The Panama Saint Andrew's Society
will hold a Scottish ball at the Fort
Amador Officer's Club on Friday,
October 28. Anyone interested in an
evening of Scottish culture, dancing and
fun is welcome. The deadline for buying
tickets is October 25. Call 52-6425, 52-
5786, 60-3345, or 60-6760.
Coco Solo dining returns
By popular request, full-dining serv-
ices will be reinstated at the Coco Solo
Bayview Room. The restaurant will
continue to operate from 6 to 10 p.m.
Monday through Thursday, and the
dress code allows shirts with collars,
slacks or nice jeans and shoes or clean
sneakers. The Bayview Room's con-
tinued operation will be determined at
the end of December.
Accountants convention
Abraham Espino, chief accountant
for the Panama Canal Commission,
will lead a conference titled, "Perspec-
tives of the Panamanian Accountant in
the Canal Administration Beginning in
1990," as part of the Third National
Convention of Accountants on Octo-
ber 28 and 29 at the Hotel Riande
Continental (Airport). Other presenta-
tions will be made by Alberto Vallarino,
Rail GAlvez, Gerardo Dudley and
Justino Rangel. To participate or
register, call 25-6651 or 69-2713.

Girls softball volunteers
The Pacific Senior Girls Softball
League is looking for volunteers to serve
as managers and coaches for the 1989
season. Anyone willing to help should
contact John Engelke at 52-2949 or
Enrique Marquez at 52-6869.

Women's basketball
There are still a few openings on the
team representing the Panama Canal
Commission in the women's basketball
league sponsored by the Community
Recreation Division. Interested players
should contact the Employee Fitness
Branch at 52-7967.

A taste of Russia
A performance by Russian folkloric
dancers will be presented at 7 p.m.
tomorrow and Sunday at the National
Theater, and a buffet of typical Russian
food will be available during inter-
mission and at the end of the show.
Tickets are $10 and $5 and can be
purchased at Gran Morrison.

Chess for adults
A bilingual chess course for adults
will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. on
Monday, starting October 31 and
ending December 12 at the Chariot
Pub, located on Manuel Maria Icaza
Street in the Campo Alegre area of
Panama City. For more information,
call 23-4696 or 23-4783.

ICC stages meeting
The Isthmian College Club will hold
its next meeting at 4:15 p.m. on
Monday, November 7, at the Theatre
Guild in Ancon. JoAnne Mitchell and
Pat Swanson will discuss the guild's 38-
year history, and members will see a set
under development as they learn about
amateur theater. The meeting is a
prelude to the club's sponsorship of a
benefit performance of "The Nerd" on
December 1.

Canal people

Language specialist Olga Jennings says "adi6s"

So long, Olga!
Language specialist Olga Stanziola
Jennings will be ending her 34 years of
service with the Panama Canal this
month.
Photo by Kevin Jenkins

THE PANAMA CANAL f

Spillway ;j

D. P. MCAULIFFE FERNANDO MANFREDO Jr.
Administrator, Panama Canal Commission Deputy Administrator
ANEL E. BELIZ WILLIE K. FRIAR
Director of Public Affairs Deputy Director of Public Affairs
FRANKLIN D. CASTRELLON JENNIFER JONES
Press Officer Editor
The SPILLWAY is an official Panama Canal publication. Articles may be reprinted without further permission by crediting
the PANAMA CANAL SPILLWAY as the source. News items should arrive in the Press Office by noon, Thursday, the week
prior to publication. Only urgent, official material will be accepted after the deadline. Subscriptions for 52 issues are $6 regular mail,
$4 regular mail students and $19 airmail. Send check or money order payable to the Panama Canal Commission to the Office of
Public Affairs, APO Miami 34011-5000.

After 34 years of Panama Canal
service, language specialist Olga Stan-
ziola Jennings is now looking forward
to seeing more of her children,
stepchildren and grandchildren; doing a
lot of traveling; and fully enjoying her
new life. Jennings will be ending her
Canal career this month and heading
for Tampa, Fla., where her son and two
daughters live with one of her grand-
children.
She began with the Canal organiza-
tion in September 1954 and filled
several positions, such as clerk-stenog-
rapher, in the Medical Records Section
of Gorgas Hospital before being
accepted for an opening as translator-
interpreter with the Translating Unit,
now the Language Services Branch.
Throughout her years as a translator,
Jennings says, she has loved working
with people and has had wonderful co-
workers who have made her job more
pleasant. She has enjoyed her profes-
sion and the opportunity to learn
something new every day and con-
tinually add to her knowledge. In 1980
and 1983, her dedication, dependability
and exceptional qualities were recog-
nize with Superior Performance
Awards. She has also earned a
reputation as a charming and sym-

According to co-workers, to know
Jennings is to love her as a truly warm
human being whose goal in life is to be
of service to others and try and make
their lives more pleasant by being
friendly and sincere. She is the widow of
Robert S. Jennings, who was the senior
motion picture editor for the Graphic
Branch, and is thankful to be blessed
with wonderful children, stepchildren,
grandchildren and friends. In addition
to enjoying their company after retire-
ment, she plans to schedule regular
visits to the Isthmus to see her friends
here.
Co-workers in the Language Services
Branch are sorry to see Jennings go, but
intend to give her a good send-off with a
luncheon in her honor on October 26
at the Fort Amador Officers' Club and a
happy hour the following day at the
Marriott Caesar Park Hotel. The
translators are hoping all of Olga's
friends and well-wishers will be on hand
to bid her farewell. For information on
these events, contact Ruben Silvera,
Velda Blencowe or Haydee Espino at
52-3488 or 52-7492.

Paae 2

Last miter gate leaf lowered into place

ii

-

Friday, October 21, 1988

THE PANAMA CANAL SPILLWAY

Ayon pioneers way into tugboat program

Libia Avon, the first Latin American
woman to graduate from the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy in Kings
Point, N.Y., has also become the first
woman to enter the Mate Trainee
Towboat Program through academy
training rather than an apprenticeship.
The fifth woman to be selected for the
program, she began training this month.
Born in Panama, Ayon attended the
Panamerican Institute (IPA). In 1983,
she decided to prepare herself for her
goal of playing an important role in
Panama Canal transit operations. She
spent four years at the merchant marine
academy, graduating in 1987 with .a
bachelor's degree in both marine
engineering and nautical science. She
was the only woman that year to
graduate under the prestigious dual
major program.
A few months after returning to
Panama, Ayon joined the Panama

Canal Commission as a temporary
clerk-typist with the Locks Division.
She later was chosen for a permanent
position, which she held until her recent
selection for the towboat program.
Under the program, Ayon will be
trained in the operation, maintenance
and repair of towboats through hands-
on experience and classroom instruc-
tion. Once she meets program require-
ments, including passing a written
examination, she will become a licensed
towboat mate. Then, shell have to
complete a fixed number of watches
aboard Commission tugs to be eligible
to become a towboat master.
Having already achieved part of her
goal, Ayon feels confident about the
task ahead. After all, she has been a
pioneer throughout her career. "I see it
as a challenge," she says, "not because
I'm a woman, but because it's some-
thing new."

Another challenge ahead

A pioneer throughout her
career, Libia Ayon, the first
Latin American woman to
graduate from the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy in
Kings Point, N.Y., has also
become the first woman to be
selected for the Panama Canal
Commission Mate Trainee
Towboat Program through
academy training rather than
an apprenticeship.

Photo by Arthur Pollack

I. "

Photo by Kevin Jenkins
Labor leader visits Canal
Captain F. Elwood Kyser, left, secretary-treasurer of the International
Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, is escorted by towboat master Juan
de J. Vega and pilot Dwight G. Osborne for a launch trip on the Panama Canal.
Elwood met with IOMMP members and Panama Canal Commission officials
during his three-day visit to the Canal.

Transisthmian jitney trials set

To reduce the number of Panama Canal Commission vehicles crossing the
Isthmus, the Motor Transportation Division (MTD) will implement a transisthmian
jitney service on a trial basis on October 31. If the service is utilized and proves viable,
it will be continued on a permanent basis. The service is available to all employees on
regular workdays. To use it, employees must show their Commission identification
cards and must log in their names, I.P. numbers and units.
The first northbound jitney will leave MTD headquarters in Ancon at 7:15 a.m.,
pick up passengers at the port cochere of the Administration Building in Balboa
Heights and depart for the Atlantic side at 7:30 am. It will stop at Building 206, Gatun,
before finishing its run at the MTD facility in Mount Hope. The early southbound
jitney will depart from MTD in Mount Hope at 7 a.m. and proceed to Building 206,
Gatun, before heading for the Pacific side at 7:30 a.m. It will stop at the
Administration Building in Balboa Heights and then at MTD in Ancon.
Because of the availability of parking for privately owned vehicles, the preferred
pickup and delivery points are the Administration Building and Building 206, Gatun.
Return transportation will depart from these points at 2 each afternoon. A schedule
for all four runs is provided below.

Morning
Depart at 7:15
Depart at 7:30
Arrive about 9
Arrive about 9:20

Morning
Depart at 7
Depart at 7:30
Arrive about 9
Arrive about 9:20

Afternoon
Depart at 1:45
Depart at 2
Arrive about 3:30
Arrive about 3:50

Afternoon
Depart at 1:30
Depart at 2
Arrive about 3:45
Arrive about 4

Although local shuttle service will be available on both sides of the Isthmus for
additional transportation, it is the responsibility of the employee using the
transisthmian jitney to get to and from central pickup and delivery points. For more
information or short-trip service, call 52-3301 (MTD Ancon) or 46-7359 (MTD
Cristobal).

Accidents can happen anywhere

Make your
Seat belts are mandatory for Panama
Canal Commission employees traveling
in vehicles on official duty, but how
many of us automatically buckle up
when we're off the job? By the same
token, safety goggles, grounded power
tools, hearing protection devices and
safety shoes are part of the industrial
setting, but how often are they used at
home? Seventy percent of accidental
deaths and 55 percent of employee
injuries are caused by off-the-job
accidents. For this reason, the Comn-

Pay raise set for January
The bill providing an average 4.1
percent pay raise for federal workers
has been signed into law by
President Ronald Reagan. The hike
will be effective January 1 for
Panama Canal Commission employees
in the non-manual and related
categories and will be reflected in the
January 23 paychecks.

home safe
mission is focusing on off-the-job
accidents as the safety topic for this
month.
Employees are safer on the job than
at home, because they do not consider
their homes dangerous. The work
environment is set up with the safety of
employees in mind, but the home is
arranged to provide a comfortable and
attractive environment. Tools and
machines are properly maintained and
personal protective equipment is used at
work, yet many home workshops have
frayed wires and no personal safety
equipment and they are often set up in
dark, damp or other unsafe places.
No matter where it occurs, the results
of an injury are the same: pain and
suffering, loss of income, loss of leave
and a disruption of family life. Practice
safety both on and off the job and keep
your home environment as safe as your
workplace to decrease your chances of
injury.

Position Vacancy List
for Panama Canal Commission and other
U.S. government agency employees only

Applications must be submitted to the Employment and Placement Branch, Building 366,
Ancon, or Building 7998, Margarita, on Form 443, Application for Transfer, no later than seven
days from the date of this publication. Qualification standards may be reviewed at the Panama
Canal Commission Technical Resources Center. Further information may be obtained from the
Employment and Placement Branch, telephone 52-3583, 52-7996 or 46-7219.
Ie rates of pa N rclect Ihe m nmlllum and ima; lumln hourly base for the grades of positionsadvcertised. Inlployees selctel d M\ill
be placed in the appropriate step and glage base in accordance wrilh regullations.
The Panama Canal Commission is an equal opportunity employer.

Page 3

-* I

Lli4
I

F""

THE PANAMA CANAL SPILLWAY

Friday, October 21, 1988

Vehicle inspection time rolls around again
It's vehicle inspection time again in Once the vehicle passes inspection,
the Republic of Panama, and initial the owner has eight days to report to the
inspections are being performed at Traffic Department inspection station
designated automotive shops through- and pay the $2.10 sticker fee. The Colon
out the Republic of Panama. A station is located on 14th Street and
conveniently located site on the Pacific Melendez Avenue and is open from 8
side of the Canal area is the Corozal a.m. to noon and I to 5 p.m. weekdays
muffler shop, open from 8 a.m. to 5 and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to I The Pacific side station is located on
p.m. Saturday. In Colon, inspections Albrook field and is open from 8 to
can be made at either Silenciadores noon and 1:30 to 4 p.m. on weekdays
Colon or Silenciadores y Escapes. and from 8 to noon Saturdays.

Safety Division schedules courses for November
The Safety Division will offer the courses listed below to Panama Canal
Commission employees in Apartment B or C of Building 719, Balboa, on the Pacific
side and in Building 206, Gatun, on the Atlantic. Employees fluent in both English
and Spanish should attend English courses. Training program managers should
contact Sandra Toothman (52-3999) with nominations by the suspense dates
indicated. To arrange a separate class for your unit or to make nominations for
confined spaces training or recertification of persons competent in confined spaces,
contact Bryant Teale (52-7529).

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Date
November 2 .............
November 15.............
November 16.............
November 17.............
November 29 .............

Date
November 8 .............
November 9 ..............
November 22 ............
November 23 .............

Contract projects
Scaling, cleaning and painting the exterior and intenor of miter gate leaves will
S be negotiated under Project 89-20 at an estimated cost between SI million and $5
million. Contract information is available in Room 343 of the Administratibn
Building (52-7949), and offers should he received by I p.m. November 14.

Panamanians hold nautical jobs (Continuedfrom page 1)

senting 78 percent of the total of 117. In
1979, Panamanians represented only 22
percent of the force. Of the Panama-
nians on the force today, there are 10
masters-in-charge, 49 masters, nine
mates and 23 mate trainees. Thirty-four
are graduates of maritime academies, 22
from the Panama Nautical School.
Forty-four entered the force through
the Apprentice Program.
The towboat program is one of the
main manpower sources for the pilot
force. By standing a specified number of
watches as mates aboard a tug and
passing written and oral examinations,
towboat trainees become masters and
can eventually qualify for pilot-in-
training positions. Another source of
pilot manpower is the Commission's
Pilot Understudy Program.
Maritime academies are also pre-
paring large numbers of Panamanians
for careers with the Canal. There are
about 80 maritime academy graduates
on the pilot and towboat master forces.
The majority attended the Panama
Nautical School. Others were trained in
Mexico, the United States, Peru, Brazil,
Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Chile,
Argentina and Greece.
One of the ways the Commission
encourages young Panamanians to

consider maritime careers and other
opportunities with the Canal is to
participate in local trade fairs. A
Spanish-language documentary titled,
"La Puerta Abierta" (The Open Door),
is presented at these events to outline the
many career opportunities available,
particularly in the maritime field.

O Phone service
improved with
additional lines

If you are calling Panama City
from a Panama Canal Commission
telephone. and hear a loud busy
signal before you finish dialing, it
means that all lines connecting the
Commission and the Panama sys-
tems are busy and it is pointless to
continue dialing. Over the last three
months, 20 new lines have been
installed to improve service between
the Commission and the National
Institute of Telecommunications
(INTEL) systems. Half of the lines
use the new INTEL optical fiber
system. Additional improvements
are planned.

Education, prevention-best defense against yellow fever, dengue

Numerous calls have been received
by Occupational Health Division per-
sonnel regarding a possible threat of
yellow fever or dengue. This article is
designed to provide information on the
means of transmission of these diseases,
their symptoms and preventive
measures.

The mosquito
The Aedes aegvpti mosquito is the
vector that transmits yellow fever and
dengue, which are caused by different
viruses that are transferred from an
infected person to a healthy person. If
the female mosquito, the main vector,
feeds on a person whose blood contains
the yellow fever of dengue virus, she can
transmit the disease when feeding on the
next person. The virus causes the
disease following an incubation period
of several days.
It is important to note that the
mosquito's presence alone is not enough
to cause infection. For disease transmis-
sion to occur, the mosquito must bite a
person already infected or sick with
yellow fever or dengue and then bite a
healthy person.

Yellow fever
A disease of short duration and
varying severity, yellow fever has not
been seen in urban areas of the
Americas since 1954 when a few cases
were reported in Trinidad. A few years
back, jungle yellow fever was found in
monkeys in the Darien area of Panama,
but it never reached the city.
The onset of yellow fever is sudden,
with fever, headaches, backaches,
prostration, nausea and vomiting.
Later, hemorrhagic symptoms may
appear including nose or mouth
bleeding, bloody vomiting (coffee-

ground or black colored) or black
stools. Jaundice may also be noticed.
The disease is sometimes deadly, but
recovery is followed by lasting im-
munity as second attacks are unknown.
The time from which an infected
mosquito bites a person to the time the
person develops yellow fever is usually
three to six days. The blood of patients
is infective for other mosquitoes shortly
before onset of the fever and for the first
three to five days of illness. During this
period, the infected person should be
isolated from mosquitoes. Once a
mosquito becomes infected, it will
remain so during its life span of three to
four weeks.

Dengue
This disease is characterized by
sudden onset of fever of five to seven

Take note.

Panama Canal Commission
employees will sponsor a Christmas
party for the children of Nuevo
Caimitillo school again this year.
Those who wish to make donations
should contact the project co-
ordinator in their respective units.
Deadlines for the next three
issues of the SPILLWAY have been
advanced to Wednesday the week
before publication because of sched-
uled holidays during the month of
November. The deadlines for the
November 4, November 18 and
December 2 issues will be at 11:45
a.m. on October 26, November 9
and November 23, respectively. For
further information, contact the
editor at 52-3202.

days' duration, intense headache, joint
and muscle pains and skin rash. Other
symptoms include loss of appetite,
weakness, constipation or diarrhea,
vomiting, eye redness, cough and
inflammation of nasal tissue. There is a
hemorrhagic form of the disease in
which additional signs may be found,
such as nose or gum bleeding or bloody
vomit or stools. The virus will run its
course and, during recovery, there is
prolonged fatigue and depression.
Death very rarely occurs.
The incubation period is commonly
three to 15 days. As with yellow fever,
the infected person should be isolated
from mosquitoes.
Please note that all the symptoms of
yellow fever and dengue can be found
with other common illnesses. Only a
physician can determine whether it is

Women runners are still needed
to represent the Panama Canal
Commission in the one-mile and
two-mile relays for the Turkey Bowl.
Interested employees or dependents
should call the Employee Fitness
Branch at 52-6827.

Monday is the deadline for
eligible dependents to apply for
nomination by Panama Canal Com-
mission Administrator D. P. Mc-
Auliffe to the U.S. Merchant
Marine, Military or Naval academy
for the class of 1993. Applications are
available at the Balboa and Cristobal
high school principals' offices. Ap-
plicants should report to Room 318
of the Administration Building by
8:30 a.m. November 18 for inter-
views.

one disease or another. If you develop
any of these symptoms, consult a
doctor.
Preventive measures
Educating the public on protective
measures is the main means of
preventing both yellow fever and
dengue. The Aedes aegypti mosquito
breeds in and around houses and can be
controlled by individual and com-
munity actions.
The mosquito feeds during the day,
rests indoors and in sheltered areas and
lays eggs in water containers. The
community should clean overgrown
lots and dispose of all unused objects
that may collect water (old tires, empty
tin cans, bottles and so forth).
Whenever possible, water storage
containers should be turned upside
down before they are refilled and kept
closed when not in use. Water
containers that cannot be disposed of
should be adequately covered to
prevent egg-laying by mosquitoes or
cleaned and scrubbed weekly. In areas
without a piped-water supply, large
water tanks used to collect rainwater
should be covered to keep mosquitoes
out.
In Panama Canal Commission
industrial and housing areas, insecticide
spraying is ongoing. The Panama news
media have recently reported that
public health officials are prepared to
provide yellow fever vaccinations
should it become necessary and that
insecticide spraying has been initiated in
certain communities. People who visit
or work in jungle areas of Panama are
normally vaccinated as a preventive
measure because of the uncontrolled
proliferation of mosquitoes there. There
is currently no vaccine against dengue.